Overcoming Challenges Associated with the Analysis of Nacre by Atom Probe Tomography

In this study atom probe tomography was used to study nacre, an important biocomposite material that is challenging to prepare and analyse by atom probe and, when successful, yields data that is challenging to interpret. It was found that these challenges mainly arise from the insulating and heterogeneous nano‐scale properties of nacre. We outline our current best practice for preparing and running atom probe tips, such as using a low acceleration voltage (< 3 kV) and current (≤ 50 pA) to avoid damage to the microstructure, and using transmission electron microscopy to confirm that the region of interest is located close to the apex of the atom probe tip. Optimisation of the preparation parameters led to several successful atom probe experiments, with one of the data sets containing part of an organic membrane and others showing organic inclusions within the reconstruction.     

Numerical distribution of Santonian to Danian corals (Scleractinia,Octocorallia) of Southern Limburg,the Netherlands

The stratigraphical occurrence of 35 known species from the Upper Cretaceous and Danian of Southern Limburg is presented based on existing collections and newly collected material. Corals are relatively rare, except in the Meerssen Member of the Maastricht Formation. Two faunas were recognised in the Meerssen Member: a fauna dominated by Cyclolites cancellata at the base of this member – which coincides with the sequence boundary of the third-order sequence cycle TA1.1 of Haq et al. (1988) – and a fauna dominated by mushroom-shaped and encrusting colonies at the top of the transgressive systems tract of the same sequence cycle.     

Hydrologic investigations in the north Chilean Altiplano using landsat ‐ MSS and ‐ TM data

In order to understand Late Glacial high lake levels in the dry Andes of Northern Chile, recent short ‐ to medium‐term fluctuations in the water budget of present lakes and brines (salars) and their relationship with the atmospheric circulation were investigated. A time sequence of four Landsat‐MSS images between November 1983 and August 1984 was analysed in terms of changing water surface and water volume of several lakes and salars. The variations of the open water bodies were interpreted as a result of the spatial pattern of summer and winter precipitation. Furthermore a method to determine water depth and water salinity of the very shallow salars and lakes by correlating field measurements and digital Landsat‐TM data is described. The resulting model to compute water depth was also applied to the MSS‐sequence, showing good results.     

Metop-GRAS in-orbit instrument performance

The GRAS instrument on the Metop-A satellite provides more than 600 radio occultation measurement profiles per day. The instrument is characterized by its wide antenna coverage, high signal-to-noise ratio and an ultra-stable clock reference. The conventional dual-frequency tracking of GPS signals is under dynamic atmosphere conditions complemented by open loop tracking with sampling of the signal at a 1 kHz rate, providing an unprecedented view of the signal spectral environment. This paper presents the instrument performance as derived from analysis of in-orbit measurement data. We show that the noise figure is low enough to enable mapping of external radio noise variations over the earth’s surface. An error propagation model is presented to relate instrument characteristics to bending angle performance. This model is also used to illustrate the relation between filter bandwidth, resolution and measurement noise. The Doppler model, guiding open loop measurements, is found to be accurate to better than 20 Hz with a possibility for improvement to 10 Hz. The high performance at low altitudes enables the presence of surface reflections at the −20-dB level to be identified in more than 50% of the occultations. The potential performance improvements for next generation receivers are discussed.     

Calcmylonites and solution transfer in a Devonian reef at Warstein,Germany

Massive limestone complexes of Late Palaeozoic age are scattered across the allochthonous foreland of the Hercynides in Germany. One of these complexes is situated at Warstein. Stratigraphic facies studies have represented the Warstein complex as a reef in a coastal shelf. Our study emphasizes that at least part of the reef consists of a pile of calcmylonites.The calcmylonites have a strong foliation (S_m) and lineation (L_m) and a structural asymmetry indicating non-coaxial deformation. X-ray textures and calcite microstructures show that the mylonitization involved intracrystalline deformation and dynamic recrystallization. These processes competed with solution transfer, as the mylonites are corroded at S_m-parallel stylolites and contain carbonate veins. Cathodoluminescopy shows that some veins are parallel to S_m and have been recrystallized, whereas others are normal to S_m and retain a fibrous crackseal microstructure. The latter type created limestones showing a pair of preferred grain boundary orientations; one normal to S_m, one in S_m. This orthogonal boundary fabric is distinct from crystalplastic fabrics: the latter show only one preferred grain boundary orientation (in S_m).

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Zusammenfassung Massenkalkkomplexe spätpaläozoischen Alters liegen verstreut über das allochthone Vorland des Variszischen Gebirges in Deutschland. Einer dieser Komplexe liegt bei Warstein. Stratigraphische Faziesstudien haben den Warsteiner Komplex als ein Riff in einem küstennahen Schelf dargestellt. Die vorliegende Arbeit betont, daß wenigstens ein Teil des Riffes aus einer Stapelung von Kalkmyloniten besteht.Die Kalkmylonite haben eine starke Foliation (S_m) und Lineation (L_m), und eine strukturelle Asymmetrie die auf nicht-koaxiale Verformung hinweist. Röntgentexturen und Calcitmikrostrukturen zeigen, daß die Mylonitisierung intrakristalline Verformung und dynamische Rekristallisation beinhaltet. Diese Prozesse müssen mit Lösungstransport konkurriert haben, da die Mylonite an S_m-parallelen Styloliten korrodiert sind und Karbonatgänge erhalten. Kathodolumineskopie zeigt, daß einige Gänge (parallel zu S_m) rekristallisiert sind, während andere (senkrecht zu S_m) eine faserige crack-seal Mikro-Struktur enthalten. Der letzte Typ ist verbunden mit Konformgefügen. Diese unterscheiden sich von kristallplastischen Kornformgefügen, da sie eine zweite bevorzugte Korngrenzorientierung aufweisen, die senkrecht zur ersten (in S_m) einfällt.

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Résumé Les complexes de calcaires massifs de l'Âge paléozoîque supérieure sont repandus sur l'avantpays allochthone des Hercynides en Allemagne. Un de ces complexes est situé à Warstein. Les Études de faciès stratigraphiques ont répresenté le complexe à Warstein comme un Récif littoral. Notre étude montre que au moins partie de ce «Récif» consiste en un empilement des calcmylonites.Les calcmylonites ont une foliation (S_m) et linéation (L_m) fort, et une asymmetrie structurale indiquant de la déformation non-coaxiale. Les textures röntgenographiques et les microstructures calcitiques montrent que la mylonitization était incluse de déformation intracristalline et récristallisation dynamique. Ces processus auront été en compétition avec dissolution-cristallization («solution transfer»), car les mylonites sont corrodées aux stylolites parallel à S_m et contient des veines carbonatiques. La cathodoluminescopie montre que quelques veines (parallel à S_m) sont récristallisées, pendant que les autres (perpendiculaire à S_m) ont retenu une microstructure fibreuse («crack-seal»). Le dernier type est lié avec des fabriques de forme des grains. Ils se sont distingués des fabriques de plasticité cristalline par la présence d'une deuxième orientation préférentielle des bordures des grains, perpendiculaire à la première (dans S_m).

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. Warstein'a. , . , , , »« . (S_m) (L_m), , . , - , . , .. , S_m, . , , S_m, , , S_m, = »crack-seal«. : , S_m.

     

Revising the ‘host country standard’ principle: a step for China to align its overseas investment with the Paris Agreement

ABSTRACT

China’s overseas investment flows (US$ 183 billion) and stock (US$ 4.7 trillion) reached a record peak in 2016, second only to those of the US. A major cause for concern lies in the environmental sustainability of China’s overseas investment portfolio, which is compounded by the lack of transparency of China’s main development finance arms. We intend in this paper to give an update on the magnitude of green finance in China’s overseas investment and development finance portfolio on the basis of the best available estimates, and to put these figures into a broader perspective of multilateral development banks’ commitments and practices to combat climate change. We derive practical policy recommendations that Chinese development banks could take to further align China’s overseas investment with the 2°C target of the Paris Agreement, with the first step being to revise the ‘host country standard’ principle, to ensure that Chinese development banks use the most stringent of the two environmental standards, abroad or at home.

Key policy insights

• Chinese development banks lend, give or invest between US$ 38 billion and US$ 45 billion every year to developing countries, without either elaborating on, or integrating, the provisions of the Paris Agreement into their investment strategy.

• Regulations and safeguards are much more stringent for China’s domestic investment than for China’s overseas investment, and this stringency gap has been widening over recent years.

• As a step towards aligning Chinese overseas investment with the Paris Agreement, Chinese development banks could revise the ‘host country standard principle’. They could instead choose the highest among the two – recipient country or Chinese domestic – in terms of environmental stringency, consequently harmonizing overseas environmental regulation and safeguards with those that apply domestically.

     

Inferring organic content of sediments by scanning reflectance spectroscopy (380–730 nm): applying a novel methodology in a case study from proglacial lakes in Norway

Reflectance spectroscopy in the visible spectrum (VIS-RS) is a method that has been successfully applied for inferring organic content of sediments. In this study, we test the applicability of VIS-RS to lake sediments in Norway. On the one hand we use conventional, established algorithms for inferring organic content of sediments, on the other hand we test the potential of multivariate calibration techniques to infer organic content. For absolute quantification of organic content, conventional C_org measurements are needed when using conventional algorithms as well as when employing multivariate calibration techniques. Both, conventional algorithms and multivariate calibrations, result in estimates of organic content closely mirroring loss-on-ignition measurements. When using multivariate calibration techniques, a conventional C_org measurement every 5 cm is sufficient to obtain estimates of organic matter that are more accurate than those obtained by means of conventional algorithms. Therefore, the potential of multivariate calibration techniques and VIS-RS to substitute measurements of more time consuming and costly sediment parameters (e.g. clay minerals) should be tested.     

Estimating mean residence time of karst groundwater in mountainous catchments of Western Himalaya,India

The mean residence time (MRT) of karst groundwater in three mountainous catchments of the Western Himalaya was estimated using multiple approaches: the tritium method, the sine wave model and tracer tests. Water samples were collected from precipitation, glacier melt, streams and karst springs for δ²H and tritium analysis during 2012 and 2013. High tritium values were observed in winter precipitation and low values in summer precipitation. The variation of tritium in karst springs was similar to that of the streams, whereas glacier melt showed lower tritium values. The MRT of cold karst springs was shorter than that of warm karst springs. The tracer breakthrough curves (TBC) retrieved for different springs suggested a short travel time for groundwater and possibly conduit flow. Deterioration of water quality and variation in flux magnitude are the two main practical consequences of the short travel time of karst groundwater in the region.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis

ASSOCIATE EDITOR K. Heal     

GIS and Field‐Based Spatiotemporal Analysis for Evaluation of Paleo–Ice Sheet Simulations*

Reconstructing paleo–ice sheets is significant for paleoclimate reconstructions and evaluations of sea level low stands. Accurate reconstructions of paleo–ice sheet dimensions and dynamics necessitate the combination of field evidence and process modeling. In this study, a GIS‐based technique was developed to quantitatively assess model output against geomorphic data. However, implementation of this technique is not straightforward and requires consideration of time‐space relationships, data representation, resolution, and analytical design. Combined use of two software tools holds considerable promise for the use, application, and interpretation of refined ice sheet models.